https://longeviquest.com/2025/08/worlds-oldest-person-ethel-caterham-celebrates-116th-birthday/

World’s Oldest Person, Ethel Caterham, Celebrates 116th Birthday

On 21 August, in the picturesque village of Lightwater, Surrey, United Kingdom, the world’s oldest person, Ethel Caterham, is celebrating her 116th birthday with a special gathering at her care home. Reaching 116 years is an extraordinary milestone achieved by only the strongest individuals, and Mrs. Caterham’s achievement is particularly remarkable as she is the first British person in history to reach this age.

Biography

Ethel May Caterham (née Collins) was born on 21 August 1909 in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, and grew up in Wiltshire. She was the seventh of eight children born to Alfred Collins (1867–1927) and Fanny Shears (1867–1951). In 1927, at the age of 18, she travelled alone by ship to India to work as a nanny for a British family—an unusual and courageous step for a young woman at the time.

She returned to England in 1930 and the following year met her future husband, Major Norman Caterham of the British Army, at a dinner party. They married at Salisbury Cathedral and later moved to Gibraltar, where Norman was stationed. The couple welcomed two daughters—Ethel (1933–2005) and Ann (1937–2020)—before settling in Surrey in 1938. In 1957, Mrs. Caterham relocated once again, this time to Hong Kong, where Norman had risen to the rank of lieutenant general. While there, she founded a nursery and taught English to both local and British children before returning to the UK in 1960.

After more than 40 years of marriage, Mrs. Caterham was widowed in 1976 when Norman died suddenly at the age of 71. She embraced her new chapter with optimism, spending her time gardening, walking her dogs, enjoying family gatherings, and playing bridge. She continued driving until the age of 97 and remained a keen bridge player well into her centenarian years.

Longevity Records

Today, at 116, her favourite pastimes include sitting in the garden—renamed Ethel’s Garden in her honour on her 115th birthday—listening to birdsong in the sunshine, or relaxing in her room with classical music.

Mrs. Caterham became the oldest living person in the United Kingdom on 22 January 2022, following the death of 112-year-old Mollie Walker. She later became the oldest living person in Europe on 19 August 2023, after the passing of 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera of Spain.

April 2025 marked a series of historic milestones for Mrs. Caterham. On 7 April, she surpassed Charlotte Hughes to become the oldest British person ever. On 26 April, with the death of Japan’s Okagi Hayashi, she became the last surviving person born in 1909. Just four days later, on 30 April, she was officially recognised as the world’s oldest living person and the final surviving individual born in the 1900s decade, following the death of Brazil’s Inah Canabarro Lucas.

Her late daughter Ann once remarked, “I tell her she’ll end up in the record books but she just takes it all in her stride.” Ann was right. Now, at 116, Mrs. Caterham is firmly in the record books—and she continues to take each day with grace and resilience.

Special Congratulations

The world’s oldest living man, 112-year-old João Marinho Neto of Brazil, was informed of Mrs. Caterham’s birthday. His family shared this special birthday message from him to Ethel, offering warm congratulations on her remarkable achievement.

Happy 116th Birthday, Ms. Caterham!